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Topic: Hello, County Durham to the Lakes (Read 281 times)

I've been reading the forum and taking in a few of the trip reports over the past month, I thought now was a good time to get registered and involved. I realised in October that the Lakes are only 70 miles from my door and £15 in fuel, quite reasonable for a day out!

I've done a few walks this Autumn (Helvellyn, Blencathra (failed via Halls Fells ridge due to wind and then completed across Scales fell), Skiddaw likely tomorrow) and now that the terrain is changing a bit I thought I'd ask few questions -

Basically, I would like to know how realistic is it to continue walking throughout the winter without crampons and an ice axe if my goals are to continue taking in the summits that the North Eastern lakes offer. If it's unrealistic, then what reasonably challenging walking would you suggest? I want to be out there for fitness as well as to experience the incredible scenery.

I've also got the option of walking in Northumberland on a weekend, which I expect to be more approachable.

I live in Co Durham and go to the Lakes all year round and winter conditions requiring axe and crampons are quite intermittent, so you could check the Helvellyn felltop conditions and the information given includes snow levels, depths, quality etc and whether or not winter mountaineering kit is needed (and the ability to use it!) If they are, you could go somewhere else.You could, as you say,. go to Northumberland. If you go to the Cheviots there's only a couple of places where an axe and spikes might be needed and the hills are quite rounded. They are more remote than the Lakes Fells, though and, generally speaking you have to walk further and longer with more of a risk of running out of daylight than sliding off a hill. The Dales, Howgills and North Pennines can also provide good, rufty-tufty walking too.. and they're about the same distance from Co Durham as the North/East Lakes.You might consider getting some khatoola spikes which will fit on to a wider range of boots than crampons and will be quite a bit safer on icy paths (not much good on steep ice, though) - you're just as likely to slip and hurt yourself on a small hill such as Simonside at Rothbury as a on a path on a bigger one, so having something spiky on the boots when its a bit skitey seems sensible to me...

Hi and welcome. I'm from Co Durham myself, up in Derwentside. I go to the Lakes all year round and have had to use the crampons and axe on only 3 occasions in the last couple of years. Swirral edge, coming off Fairfield onto Cofa Pike and the Corridor route off Scafell Pike as the winter sun does not get to the north side.

Another area you might want to consider for your winter walking is the Scottish borders. I've started doing The Donalds of late. The driving is the same distance driving to Seathwaite as it is driving into the Moffatt area and the walking is of Cheviots style. Ill stick a couple of photos in to give you an idea.

Thanks for the advice! It's reassuring to hear that crampons are rarely required - I suppose I'll just be conscious to pick sensible routes, which is only right really given my inexperience. I'll look in to getting spikes and make sure to check the weather and webcams!

My schedule on my walks so far has been dropping my girlfriend off at work in Darlington and then heading to the lakes, so by that point I'm quite a bit closer to the Lakes than Northumberland. 3 hours total driving for 5 hours walking.

However, we did a walk earlier this year on Hadrian's wall, the journey was easy (from Spennymoor) and my girlfriend enjoyed, so it's likely when she gets some time to come with me it'll be walks up that way - we bought a book in the visitors centre that has a bunch of circular walks.